Stepladder



Jwm 26, E923, TEA-@QZSZ c W. KRATHWOHL STEPLADDER Filed April 27, 1921 ATTORNE Y5.

Patented June 26, 1923.

unirsn STATES CHARLES W. KRATHWOHL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEPLADDER.

Application filed April 27, 1921. Serial No. 464,785.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLEs W. KRATH- WOHL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stepladders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to step ladders which are provided with pivotedlegs or props whereby they are held in upright position when in use.

The invention has for its object to provide novel and improved meanscooperating with the leg structure, whereby the ladder is securely heldand effectually prevented from collapsing when in use.

The object stated is attained by means of a combination and arrangementof parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that thesame may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the ladder;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly broken away of the shelf-supporting means.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the side bars of the ladder areeach composed of two parallel bars 5,positioned one behind the other toproduce a longitudinal slot 6. These side bars are connected inlaterally spaced relation by cross rails 7 which latter support thesteps or rungs 8 positioned transversely between the side bars. At thetop and bottom of the bars 5 are spacer strips 9. The top step 10 of theladder 1s mounted on the upper ends of the side bars, and beneath saidstep, the outer faces of the side bars carry strips 11 projectingrearwardly therefrom and positioned beneath the projecting ends of thetop step.

To the rearwardly projecting ends of the strips 11 is pivoted, as shownat 12, the upper end of the prop or supporting leg of the ladder, thesame being composed of laterally spaced bars 13 connected by suitablecross braces 14.

To the lower ends of the leg members 13 are pivoted, as shown at 15,stay bars 16 which extend forwardly and upwardly when the ladder is setup ready for use, their outer ends being connected to the ladder sidebars 5. This connection is a sliding one in order that the leg membersand the stay bars may be folded inthe usual manner to lie close to theladder side bars. The sliding connections between the stay bars and theladder side bars are made by fitting the outer ends of the bars 16 withrollers 17 which seat in the slot 6. When the ladder is unfolded and setup for use, the rollers 17 seat down against one of the steps 8, whichlatter therefore limits the downward travel of the rollers in the slots6, and thereby prevents further spread of the leg members and Iconsequent collapse of the ladder.

The rollers 17 are journaled on pins 18 carried by the stay bars 16, andsaid pins also carry straps 19 which straddle the side bars 5 looselyand are slidable thereon, and as they are swiveled on the pins they workfreely'without any tendency to bind. The

straps 19 are also engageable with one of the ladder steps 8, as shownin Fig. 1, to limit the spread of the legs.

The ladder is also provided with the usual shelf 20 for supporting apail or other object. This shelf is carried by laterally spaced andparallel supporting bars 21 which are pivoted, as shown at 22, to theleg bars 13. The bars 21 extend rearwardly from the pivots 22 asufficient distance to have their rear ends seat beneath one of thesteps 8 when they are swung to horizontal position to place the shelf inposition for use, whereby the shelf is held in such position andprevented from tilting downwardly. Y I

The rear ends of the shelf-supporting bars 21 are also connected bylinks 23 to the ladder side bars 5, said links being pivoted at one endto the bars 21, as shown at 24, and at their other ends to the bars 5,as shown at 25.

The links 23 and the bars 21 constitute a toggle connection between theside bars 5 and the leg bars 13, and when the shelf 20 is in horizontalor supporting position, the pivot point 24 is slightly higher than thepivot points 22 and 25. It will therefore be seen that the leg bars 13are now locked in spread or supporting position and prevented fromswinging inwardly or in the direction of the ladder side bars, and asthe stay bars 16 hold the leg bars from spreading beyond their normalsupporting position, the ladder is securely held in upright positionwith no possibility of collapse. Before the ladder can be folded, thetoggle connection between the side bars 5 and the leg bars 13 must beflexed downwardly, after which the folding operation may be effected.The shelf 20 and its supporting bars fold between the leg bars 13.

6 I claim:

The combination With a ladder composed of laterally spaced side bars andsteps 6X- tending therebetween; of a supporting leg pivoted to the upperportion of the ladder,

10 said leg consisting of laterally spaced bars and connectionstherebetween, stay bars pivoted at one end to the leg bars, and strapspivotally'connected to the other ends of the stay bars and slidablystraddling the ladder side bars, into the path of which straps a step ofthe ladder extends to limit the down- \VZLId travel of thestraps on theladder side bars.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES WV. KRATHWOHL.

